Question for 76 Owners

[John L.]

This weekend I had the opportunity to Judge the Exterior of a low milage 76, (approx 2,800 miles) in Seviverville TN, South Eastern Fall Meet.
We had a discussion among ourselves over the hood grill attachment acorn nuts on the back side of the hood. This was a red car and the acorn nuts were painted red also. The TIJG just said 6 acorn nuts were used to hold the grill in place, no reference to color of the nuts.
Earlied that day I had judged a blue 73 and the acorn nuts were naturally finished a black color. The TIJG said 6 black finished acorn nuts were used to hold the grill in place
My question is should the 6 acorn nuts on the 76 hood grill be painted body color or should they have been black like the 73.
My thinking was they should have been black like the 73 was. Wasn't the grill painted separately from the hood and then assembled and retained with the 6 acorn nuts? If so then there shouldn't have been red paint covering the nuts should it? We did give the benifit of doubt on this to the owner, although I would like to know what other 76 owners have to say what there's look like.
Thanks

[Tom H.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

I have not seen body colored acorns and would have to believe that would be incorrect. I would think they were blacked out.

[Jack H.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

I'll venture an educated guess...

The hood was installed when the body went through the paint booth (without hood prop or emblems attached) and exterior paint was shot on both sides. Later, the engine compartment black out process was performed and after that 'add-on' items were installed like the hood prop + badges.

I wouldn't expect to see body color or black out paint on these add-on items unless that particular car went though a paint touch-up booth during subsequent final assy... Other comments are invited because my knowledge is more specific to mid-year and early shark cars than it is to later sharks.

[John L.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

Tom,
I should have said that the back side of the hood in the grill area was red with very little to no black out, the acorn nuts were painted with the back of the hood.
My thought was the hood may have been painted in this area in the paint booth, but the grill was painted separately then assembled to the hood using the acorn nuts. If so then the acorn nuts would not be painted red but would have been in their natural state of fininsh, black. The 73 we judged was blacked out in this area but the 6 acorn nuts were added after black out and were in their natural state of finish.
I was told by other judges that this was/could be correct for a 76, I just think it looked a little off. I would like some feed back from other 76 owners as too what their back side hood areas look like around the rear grill and if their 6 acorn nuts are painted body color.
Thanks.

[John L.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

Jack,
Thats what I was thinking also, I have not had a 76 so I accepted the opinions of others there. I thought it looked off beat to have had those acorn nuts red.

[Terry M.]

[Tom R.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

Tom,
I should have said that the back side of the hood in the grill area was red with very little to no black out, the acorn nuts were painted with the back of the hood.

I was told by other judges that this was/could be correct for a 76, I just think it looked a little off. I would like some feed back from other 76 owners as too what their back side hood areas look like around the rear grill and if their 6 acorn nuts are painted body color.

John...trust your instincts here. this is production and GM would not have changed its methods of assembly for a single year for vent grille assembly. Nor would there have been changes in paint booth operations. The plant was gearing up for greater numbers of Corvettes (from 38,000 in 75 to 46,000 in 76) and therefore changes would be to increase productivity. Vent grilles would have been painted separately along with bumpers, t-tops, rear deck grilles (convertibles). I've judged a fair number of 73-76s but have never observed body color acorn nuts on the vent grille assembly.

Also consider the AIM schematic for hood & vent grille assembly. If the grille were delivered and painted in place, than the schematic would show a single hood assembly rather than break out a separate sheet showing vent grille assembly with acorn nuts.

Trust your instincts here. Acorn nuts on the 76 were touched up with body color paint. The underside of the hood was not painted body color, in general, and was blacked out.

[Harmon C.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

If the nuts were painted completely on all six then it would have been a sure deduction for me. If we are talking red over-spray and the nuts were only painted on one side then it is still a problem as to when it was done.Factory over-spray is ok but dealer or owner is not so it would be a hard sell but 2800 miles helps make a case for factory. I f this looked neat many low mile cars have been displayed at local show and shines and have made better than original to try to get that first place trophy.

[John L.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

Lyle,
This car was touched up in several places. I found red paint on the left rocker molding near the door area, black paint on the upper left front fender near the windshield area (not black out), red paint on the chrome gas tank lid frame. Several areas were spotted in on the rear top area around the gas tank filler hole and back window.
The front lower surround has been off and the paint was scrapped off by a socket on most of the lower surround bolts.
Just a lot of items that caught my eye for a 2,800 mile original 76 car.
But we did give the benefit of the doubt to the owner.
It was a nice car...just a lot of odd areas to see on such a low milage car. All in all it was a very good event.

[John L.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

Terry ,
I agree, we did give the owner the benefit of the doubt. Still there was a lot of tuch up areas done to this car.
All in all it was a good event, I got to work with a good group of judges and I did learn quite a lot.

[Don G.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

John

A high percentage of C3 cars had factory or dealer applied paint repair. If the paint repair areas and overspray appears aged along with the original paint, it would likely be factory or pre-delivery dealer repair. Total body color on the surface of the acorn nuts would be owner applied and a small deduct would be justified.

I ordered a 1977 Corvette that was in the showroom when I went to pick it up. There were many paint flaws resulting in repaint by the dealer on at least 25% of the surface. I often wondered if it ever made it to a show field!

[Sal C.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

I once gave a Bloomington Gold seminar, I want it say it was 1995 for the 25th aniversary of the 1970 Corvette, with George Barlos, Phil Hawkins, and Drew Papsun. George and Phil both worked at the St Louis Plant during that period and vividly recalled that the majority of the Corvettes (actually an extremely high %) received some sort of paint "touch up". It is sometimes difficult for us, as judges, to grasp the fact that GM might have let some un-sightly stuff leave the plant. But thats the way it sometimes was. Un-restored, low milage cars, more often than not, have some sort factory "ugly". When an owner makes corrections, it is usually to improve the look.

[John H.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

As part of the 1964 building addition, the Final Paint Repair system at St. Louis was facilitized for 125% of production; there were lots of reasons for that.

[George C.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

In all my years at Palmyra Motors never did I see the acorn nuts painted body color. Even St Louis would not have painted them that heavy of a solid spray. I say Black only.

[Peter G.]

Re: Question for 76 Owners

I have never seen or would expect to ever see any color other than black.

On my '76 I purchased new in December '75 they were black.